Lebanese riot police fired tear gas at student demonstrators protesting a major rise in tuition at the American University of Beirut (AUB) and the Lebanese American University.
The demonstrations, called a ‘student day of rage,’ on Saturday near the entrance of AUB in Hamra were sparked by the universities’ decision to raise the exchange rate of US dollars to Lebanese pounds on the tuition price, effectively more than doubling student tuition since the exchange rate remains pegged to the 23-year-old official rate. There is concern that other Lebanese universities will soon follow suit, pricing Lebanese students out of higher education.
Students on Saturday night also set dumpsters on fire to block the street and vandalized banks before being removed by security forces. At least one student reportedly was arrested.